After being spoiled with a warm sunny day in Haines, we were greeted with more typical Southeast Alaska weather in Cross Sound. Rain. We spent the morning kayaking and hiking George Island, then continued after lunch with Zodiac cruising the Inian Islands, always a highlight! There were dozens of sea otters, some with pups, rafted in the kelp. Steller sea lions were also foraging in the tidal rips. Towards the end of the afternoon, the sun even came out!
5/8/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Southeast, Alaska
This morning, we cruised through the infamous Fredrick Sound in search of wildlife. Guests joined our naturalists on the bow, and along with our amazing bridge team, we spotted roughly nine humpback whales, including one mother and calf pair! Once we got to our anchorage, a hike in the Tongass National Forest was planned. Guests were shuttled ashore and off into the forest they went. Cascade Creek is infamous for the bursting waterfall about 20 minutes up trail. Each hiker took time being quiet to listen to the forest and her songs, but not for too long because we are in bear country and we wanted to make sure our presence was known. Faces drenched with waterfall mist, our hikers returned to their home away from home, National Geographic Sea Lion . We closed the day by entering into Wrangell Narrows in the direction of Wrangell, our next stop. During dinner our guests were greeted by a small pod of killer whales off our starboard side, and from the dining room windows, a room full of guests watched as they surfaced a few times and then disappeared. What an absolutely magical day!